Dream Setting: What Is It + 5 Easy Tips

I am a big believer in having biiiig hopes and dreams in life. There is a time and place to be realistic but your dreams are not that place! It is so incredibly important to WANT things in life. It really keeps you going! Yes, we all have goals, probably big and small ones. But generally, goals are pretty realistic. We set goals that we can achieve within some time frame, some will take longer than others. But how often do we seriously dream without reality knocking on the door? 

Dream setting is my idea (probably not just mine) of thinking bigger. Bigger than just your ideas, hopes, goals, etc. When someone asks you what your dream life is, I’m sure you don’t say “making enough money to get by” or “driving a cheap car.” Those may be goals you have right now based on where you are in your life but those are not DREAMS. 

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What is dream setting really?

Dream setting is a term I think I kinda made up… at least I couldn’t find too many things using this term on Google. I have really come to love setting goals. If you follow along with me on Instagram you know that I’m a big promoter of going after your goals, dreaming big, and doing what you love. So, the idea of dream setting was born from that!

Sometimes when you have a dream it is so big and so scary that there is no clear way to get there. It’s not just a 3 step process and then BAM you are living your dreams. Your dreams should be bigger than that! I’ll give you an example. One of my bigger dreams is to one day have enough money that I can rent out my current apartment for a low price to a young family or someone who just needs some help getting started. When Nick and I first moved out and rented a basement suite we were really lucky to find someone who rented to us for SO CHEAP! It really helped us get a good start in our life together and I DREAM of being able to do that for someone else. 

How am I going to get there? Well, first I need to make some more money lol. How will I do that? I’m not really sure yet… I have some ideas of course, but just because I don’t know the HOW doesn’t mean the dream is any less important or less of a priority.

The difference between goal setting and dream setting

The major difference between goal setting and dream setting is the realistic, timely, and planning aspect! When you set goals you want them to be specific and measurable and something that you can achieve in a somewhat timely fashion. You also normally have some kind of plan to get there. For example, if your goal is to start a blog you might break it into steps and have a plan of action.

 But when it comes to dream setting the expectation of it being super realistic is taken away because well, it’s a dream!! You might not have a specific plan of action BUT you do have a specific idea of what the dream is. It’s not vague like just dreaming of having a lot of money. The idea of dream SETTING is like goal setting in the sense of setting a dream in motion – having something very specific to work towards even if it’s not realistic right now.

The benefits of allowing yourself to have big dreams

01 Having big dreams pushes you to work on your goals

All those goals you set and work on have something to do with your big dreams. Even if you are nowhere close to your dreams just having them is a huge motivating factor for achieving your smaller goals. Maybe your dream is to open a restaurant one day. For now, that dream is pushing you to work hard to save money, learn about business, and showing up to your job as a waitress to learn as much as possible about the industry!

02 Dreams give you purpose

Having a pie in the sky dream gives you something to keep going for. Through the hard days, late nights, and stressful times when you have something you are dreaming of and want so badly, you keep going. The dream becomes your purpose in life. It may even shape the way you interact with the world.

03 You will end up achieving more

Chances are the bigger the dream the more work you will put in. You will end up achieving so much more than you would if you just set a small little goal. There is nothing wrong with small goals btw (we all need them) but if you set your sights bigger and you actually start putting in the work, you will do so much more!

Why you should try dream setting

If the above benefits aren’t enough for you to want to try dream setting then do because you deserve it! You deserve to have big dreams. You deserve to have a huge, out of reach thing that you really want!

Allowing yourself to have big dreams is special because it means you haven’t given up. You still believe in yourself and what you are capable of. Little kids have all sorts of big dreams and as we get older society and other adults tell us to be realistic. They tell us traveling the world is not possible, that moving to Hawaii to live your dream life is too far-fetched, that making enough money to own multiple homes is only for a certain kind of person. Those people have given up on their dreams. 

Give in to your inner kid and just dream!

Tips for dream setting

01 Let your inner kid loose

As I mentioned above; children have the wildest dreams. Before society tells them there are all these rules they just have huge dreams. Let your inner kid loose and imagine all the possibilities. Use your imagination a little! If your dream feels a little too realistic I want you to push a little more. Remember, no one dreams of having an “okay” car…

02 Be very specific about what the dream looks like

Just like when you set goals, you want to be very specific about the dream. If you are dreaming of lots of money ask yourself what you’d do with the money specifically. If you dream of traveling, where is it, and for how long? Try to get as specific as possible and to take it a step further you could even map out what your life would be like, who you are with, and what clothes you wear. This would be a great time to get a journal out!

03 Don’t worry about the HOW

Humans inherently like to problem solve. We don’t like when we don’t have an answer. So, it might be really hard to dream of something so big and not have the exact plan. If your dream is to own a house in a different country but you don’t have the money right now (or even close) then it might be hard to even allow yourself to dream it. BUT, remember, it’s not about the plan. It’s about the dream!

04 Focus on how the dream would make you feel 

Imagine how you will feel when you reach your dreams. Even if you can’t imagine actually having the car or the house or the job… try to imagine how you would feel. I’m sure you’d feel freaking amazing! If you don’t get those happy, amazed, proud feeling when you think about your dream then maybe it’s not what you really want.

05 Focus on yourself, not what others need or want 

The age old issue… making other people happy above yourself. Since we are imagining our dreams here let’s focus on ourselves okay? Yes, maybe you have children or family that you need to consider before making any crazy decisions but right now, you don’t! It’s just a dream. One day, when you work so hard and finally reach your dreams your family and children will be supportive. Do it for you, not everyone else!

Dreams and goals are really quite similar but dreams take it a step further. No matter your age, income, family life, or any other barrier you may face, you can still dream big. Don’t let other people dull your shine! It’s never too late to start something new or go after your dreams. Remember, you are in charge of your life and you will do amazing things ❤

Do you have big dreams? What is a dream you have?